Joro Services
A CTO's judgement, without the CTO's salary
The fractional CTO engagement gives UK startups and SMBs senior technical leadership from £2,000 per month, typically one to three days per week. Strategy, architecture decisions, vendor selection and delivery oversight, from senior engineers with years of production infrastructure experience and AWS Solutions Architect and Developer Associate certifications.
The problem this solves is specific. You are making five-figure technology decisions, such as which agency, which platform, or which hire, without anyone technical on your side of the table.
What the engagement covers
Technical strategy
A roadmap that connects technology spend to business outcomes: what to build, what to buy, what to defer, in writing, reviewed monthly. Investors and boards get technical answers from someone accountable for them.
Architecture and build-vs-buy decisions
The expensive mistakes in small-company technology are architectural: the platform that cannot scale, the bespoke build that a £50-a-month tool already does, the vendor lock-in nobody priced. Each significant decision gets written reasoning you can revisit.
Vendor and agency oversight
Quotes reviewed line by line, delivery held to account, and contracts read by someone who knows what "API access" should cost. This alone frequently pays for the engagement.
Hiring and team
Job specs that attract engineers rather than buzzword-matchers, technical interviews conducted properly, and onboarding that makes the first hire productive in weeks.
Engagement options
| Option | Price | Shape |
|---|---|---|
| Technical audit and strategy session | £1,500 one-off | Independent written assessment of technology, architecture and processes |
| Standard engagement | From £2,000/month | One day per week, rolling monthly, 30 days' notice |
| Scaled engagement | Pro rata | Two to three days per week for delivery-heavy periods |
Start directly via the fractional CTO package page, or book a free call first.
Who this is not for
If you need someone in the building five days a week, hire a full-time CTO and we will happily help you interview them. If you need pure delivery capacity with no leadership question attached, our development and cloud services are the cheaper right answer.
Frequently asked questions
What does a fractional CTO cost?
From £2,000 per month for one day per week, scaling pro rata with days. A full-time CTO costs £150k+ a year plus equity. Most SMBs need the judgement, not the headcount.
How is this different from hiring a consultancy?
A consultancy sells you a project and leaves. A fractional CTO sits on your side of the table continuously: reviewing the consultancy’s quote, holding your agency to account, and owning the technology roadmap between engagements.
Can you start with something smaller?
Yes. A one-off technical audit and strategy session for £1,500 gives you an independent written assessment of your technology, architecture and team processes. Many engagements start there.
Do you write code or just advise?
Both, deliberately. Strategy that has stopped touching production drifts into slideware, so hands-on days keep the advice honest. Where delivery needs exceed the engagement, our own development and cloud teams can pick up scoped work, or we help you hire.
What size of business is this for?
Typically 5 to 100 staff: funded startups needing credible technical leadership for investors, and established SMBs whose technology decisions have outgrown the founder’s comfort zone.
Making a technology decision without a technologist?
That is exactly the moment this engagement exists for. Book a free call and describe the decision.